


JADES

by witlingGallants



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Burlesque, Implied Sexual Content, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-11
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-08 03:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/756412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witlingGallants/pseuds/witlingGallants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade Harley owns the greatest night club in 1930's Manhattan. A place of dark, perverse delights, guests delve into it's shadows and cast free their inhibitions to immerse themselves in JADES, without a doubt the greatest establishment in the city.  But a dark force threatens to expose a secret that if revealed could plunge her and all her girls into poverty and despair.<br/>Because Jade is the only human in New York who offers the exiles, criminals and impoverished trolls that leave their homeland, a place of sanctuary.<br/>And she will stop at nothing to ensure their safety.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First two chapters have been rewritten slightly xx

Hushed voices. Dim lights. Red cloth. Thin smoke. Amber liquid. Soft skin.

Pink hands on gray thighs. Rough fingers slip beneath short skirts. Flushed faces and bright eyes, pointed teeth gleam in the darkness. Silence sits in the air like a fog, out of which peers a forest of twinkling, sparkling eyes.

Eagerly they watch the stage and wait.

Finally, the curtains part with a soft sigh revealing a slim, feminine figure. The nuances of the intricate staging are completely lost to the liquid darkness as cigarette smoke curls lazily in the air, settling on the stage like a mist, caressing the dancer's ankles almost tenderly. The thick, black shadows hug the figure on stage tightly . There is a pause and she holds her position, hands above her head, her right leg bent in front of her, pointed toes grazing the stage lightly- poised to dance.

She moves; and the audience seems to hold its breath as a pair of hands, seemingly dark black in the shadows, slide down her body and slowly caress her hips. Fingers hover over her thighs, teasing gently at the edges of her dress. A slow groan emanates from the stage, as the drummer begins to tap out a quiet roll on his drum. The girl begins to shake as the drummer reaches his climax, hips swaying suggestively in the warm dim light and suddenly the trumpeter lets out a shrill moan and the lights jump on. The band kicks into action as the dancer on stage begins to sway and leap to the music. The crowd erupts in noise as she sweeps her arms welcomingly towards them and twirls to the lively beat of the music, before turning back to smile coyly. With a wink she bites her lip, teasing her neck and chest lightly with her fingers and the audience let out an appreciative howl.

Jade watches all this from the bar at the back of the theatre, smiling proudly as she does so. She holds her glass lightly in her hand, although it's only water she's drinking- she needs a clear head tonight. With a sense of satisfaction, she lets her eyes roam over the crowded room, taking a note of each visitor and which of her girls they are with. They are all quite engrossed in the opening act, staring intently at the performance. Jade takes great pride in her acts. Each of her girls has worked hard on their routine and Jade is always happy to see her guest's reactions.

She likes to pay attention to her guests and treat them each as an individual- paying heed to special requests and requirements or odd behaviours. Due to this, she can often be found lurking at the back of the club, by the bar, where she can get a good view of the club while still remaining inconspicuous. She herself matches each client with a girl, which can be draining night after night, but well worth it, she feels, as her club is one of the greatest in New York, and certainly the most unique. It's just a shame that only a few know about it, or she's sure they would have greater business. But sacrifices have to be made to preserve the distinctive style of her club and if it has to remain exclusive then so be it.

Jade closes her eyes and takes a small, satisfied sigh. She takes a deep breath of the smoky air before opening them again. She doesn't smoke herself, but finds the warm mix of tobacco and perfume in the air comforting. It's very warm in the hall as always-there are of course, no windows- so a light sheen of sweat covers her bare shoulders. She feels drowsy very suddenly, possibly due to the warmth and the familiar scents in the air. She feels her posture droop slightly and allows herself to lean on the bar counter. The barman ignores her as she, very gently, lays her head on the cold marble.

 _Just a few minutes won't hurt_ ,she thinks sleepily, _just to get my act together. Just to...just to rest for a bit...wouldn't hurt...._

"Ma'am?"

Jade's head jolts lightly up from the bar counter. She looks around confused for the owner of the voice and finds him, peering through the curtain between the hallway and the front room.

"Oh." she says blushing slightly, " Jake it's just you."

Jake stares at her quietly, his large, brown eyes giving away nothing. Jade sighs.

"Yes Jake, what is it?"

Jake is a loyal, cheery member of staff, but in the company of such a crowd, Jade finds a softer, shyer side to his personality.

"Another customer, ma'am." He replies.

 _Another one,_ Jade thinks, _We're doing well tonight._

"Thank you Jake, I'll be right through....You can leave now."

Obligingly, Jake disappears behind the curtain.

Jade takes a moment to steady herself. She takes one last swig of her water, and pats down her skin for patches of sweat. Leaving the glass on the bar, she stands up, smoothing down her dress as she goes. The dress, like everything else worn in her establishment, is a quality piece of work. It isn't modest to be sure, as it's neckline does more than graze Jade's chest and the slit up one side of the skirt reveals more leg than a woman would commonly be comfortable with. However, it differs from the dresses worn by Jade's girls in that is has a far more mature and sophisticated feel to it, telling the admirer that the wearer is very much the host and not the main event.

Brushing strands of hair gently out of her face, Jade walks briskly through the curtain door between the main hall and the front room. Cold air hits her face suddenly, but not unexpectedly, as she pushes the heavy cloth curtains behind her. The front room, as it's called, is a sordid, miserable affair. Peeling, gray paint coats the walls and the floor is dirty and cracked. Disguised as a run-down cafe, the only regular occupants in the room are Jake and three ragged looking customers, peering intently into their newspapers and paying no attention to the noise filtering through next door. At the end of the night, the men are paid and sent home, no questions asked, no questions answered. Jade doesn't approve of it. Having such a miserable, neglected front to her business feels like an insult- to all the time, all the love she's put into it. But her partner was right when he said it was for the best. They hadn't been bothered by police so far, although she suspected that there had been some money exchanged regarding that. It was frightful how much she didn't know about her own business these days. She made a note to talk to her partner about it.

There's a fifth person in the room tonight, a young man taking off his coat and hat and handing them to Jake. Jade steps forward, and smiles to see it is a regular customer, and one she considers a dear friend.

"Dave, how nice to see you. I should have known to expect you."

Dave smiles back at Jade, as he removes his hat, smoothing down his light blonde hair.

"Don't worry about it Jade. I don't expect any special treatment. So long as you have the usual set up for me I'm more than happy ."

He winks at her as says so, his round cheeks red from the cold night air. Despite the fact that Dave has grown to quite a size since he and Jade were children together, his face still holds a youthfulness that Jade isn't sure will ever fade. But despite his innocent appearance, Dave has collected for himself quite a large sum of money through quite a successful business- although Jade has never been sure said business is one hundred percent legal. Not that she's one to talk.

"You're a cheap date as ever. Come on, I think she's waiting for you now."

Jade beckons Dave past the room's three apparently oblivious occupants and through to the main stage. The hot, tangy air envelops her once again and she's grateful for the heat. Smiling, she glances around the room for Dave's nightly entertainment. But there's no need as she's already spotted them.

"Dave!" They hear an excited, high-pitched voice from the far left of the hall and Jade turns to see Terezi making her way over to them from one of the booths. She glides through the room, brushing her hands across the pillars that support the upper stalls and leaning heavily on the backs of chairs. Despite being blind, she moves with remarkable grace between the chairs and tables of other customers, feeling her way past the obstacles, although Jade knows that all of this is a charade. Blind though she may be, Terezi has no need to feel her way around. But, at her insistence, none of the customers can know of Terezi's unique talent, so she keeps up the act, although Jade has a troubling feeling that Dave has seen past it. But if he has, he says nothing- today or any other day- and embraces Terezi as she approaches them.

"Hey there, Tz..." He murmurs, as Terezi slips her thin arms around his neck and bumps her lips softly against his jaw

"Hello Dave. You had me worried there." she smiles teasingly as she nuzzles her head against his neck. "You kept me waiting for almost a _whole week_..."

" Im sorry, baby. I have lots to do, you know how busy I am. I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

Terezi turns her head away from Dave and sniffs, as though she's offended by his weak apology. Dave responds by pulling her closer.

"Why don't we start making up for lost time..." Dave suggests softly, as he slips his hands down to her waist.

Although she's aware that Dave and Terezi's relationship is purely that of a client and a purveyor, Jade often feels as if she is interrupting private moments between them. However, as the couple slip away into the club, Terezi turns back to Jade and gives her a subtle wink before allowing Dave to lead her to their regular booth. Jade is reminded that Terezi is _very_ good at her job.

Jade makes her way back to the bar slipping quietly behind the rows of tables. Almost every chair in the house, it seems, is filled by a visitor often with a girl perched on their knee or wrapped around their side. The dancer has finished her routine, her clothes now scattered around the stage and surrounding area, and she has exited to change for her next act. Jane can see the guests' attention waning as a low hum of conversation fills the room.

She sits back down at her stool by the bar letting out a heavy sigh as she allows herself to relax into the cool marble counter. There's no denying it, she's tired- exhausted even. Work has been getting to her a bit lately and it shows. Her normally flushed, open face seems tighter and paler beneath her make-up and the sway in her step has been replaced by something that resembles a trudge. It's not because she doesn't enjoy her work- she loves her job and her girls but the economy's gone downhill and seems likely to continue in that direction. For an expensive establishment like hers this could be the end. And she dreads to think what would happen if that was the case. It would mean her job, her home, her dream would all be taken away from her. Not to mention the girls. Where would they go without her?

These thoughts weigh heavily on her mind as she reaches for her drink. She scowls as her hand closes on air. The barman must have taken the glass away while she was greeting Strider. Irritably, she chaps sharply on the bar top, summoning the barman once again. She opens her mouth to ask for another glass of water but hesitates as she does so.

The club has barely been open for an hour and she's already exhausted. Once the shows are done she's going to have to clear up the stage, talk to her staff and then finally discuss her financial woes with her business partner. Surely _now_ while she has a bit of time to herself it would be ok to have a little pick-me-up. Just something to see her through the night. Jade chews her lip anxiously as she deliberates. The barman stands in front of her, waiting patiently for her order. After a few seconds he speaks in a low soft voice.

"Ma'am can I get you anything?"

She knows she shouldn't but as she opens her mouth to speak she hears herself say.

"A Sidecar please."

Cursing her own carelessness, Jade watches as the barman prepares her cocktail, deftly removing a glass from its shelf while grabbing a bottle of brightly coloured liquor in the other hand. He wears a smart, inconspicuous waistcoat and apron, elegant but unremarkable. As much as Jade is sure her tailor would love to go to town on all her staff, it's important for those not onstage to remain professional and unobservable, so as not to detract from the main event- Jade's gorgeous girls. The barman also wears a fine black hat which he has pulled down to his ears. He keeps his head bent forward so the brim covers his eyes and his face is blank and serious looking. Jade watches him for a while before speaking.

"You don't have to be here you know."

The barman continues preparing his cocktail and, not looking up, replies softly:

"No thank you Ma'am."

Jade leans over the counter and lowers her voice to a hushed whisper.

"But you don't have to do this Jane, you could be up there on stage like all the others! I've always said you were an attractive girl-"

The barman lifts her head to reveal a soft feminine face, framed by short spiky curls, and a pair of round, shockingly blue eyes. The face hisses back, a little angrily:

"No Ma'am! I've told you before I'm just fine here!"

"But Jane," Jade replies rapidly, as Jane anxiously returns to the glass "you have such talent! And it's all being wasted here in this dingy bar, at least try it just one night a week?"

"We've been over this before," Jane squeaks as she glances around her nervously. "I'm happy here doing this! Now can we please drop it before someone overhears?"

Jade wants to continue, but looking into Jane's large watery eyes, knows there's not much point. Sighing, she sits back down in her seat, dejected.

"Well so long as you're happy Janey... I really don't know what goes through your mind sometimes though. It's only so long before someone finds out and there won't be much I can do when that happens!"

Jane returns her gaze to the drink and turns away from Jade to finish it.

"I know Ma'am..."

Her voice is quiet. If anyone ever did find out about Jane the game would be up of course. No one would take a female bartender seriously. She'd be picked at and teased and flirted with- too hard for such a shy soul as Jane to bear. Jade knows this is a source of anguish for Jane and feels bad for mentioning it.

"But you know even if you are found out you're still welcome to stay? You don't have to dance or work with the other girls but there's always a place for you here." She says kindly.

Jane turns round with Jade's cocktail.

"I know Ma'am. Thank you."

The pair exchange clumsy smiles as Jade accepts her drink and Jane wanders off to tend to some other customers.

Feeling even worse than she did before sitting down, Jade sips her brightly coloured drink. The drink is sweet and wonderfully cool in the sweltering hall, but the spirits go hot and fiery down her throat. A warm sensation fills her chest as she continues to drink.

Mulling over her cocktail, Jade turns around to look at the stage. It's still empty and the heavy red curtains have been drawn once more, but there are a few girls collecting various pieces of clothing around the stage from the previous act. Impatient of waiting, a few of the customers in the front row take a swipe at them, trying to make the girls blush. But the girls in question are used to this and dodge the hands with a smile and a laugh before hurrying backstage. Jade can hear muffled footsteps and voices emanating from the stage and knows it's time to get over there.

Taking her cocktail with her, she rises from her stool and makes her way through the hall, smiling to various guests as she does so. On her way there a short, dark haired figure rushes past her, almost knocking her over. She looks back and smiles to see Nepeta, a tray full of glasses in each hand, dashing behind the bar with a large, seemingly permanent, grin on her face. Nepeta is a hard working employee, young, pretty but impossibly sweet and innocent which makes her unsuited for work on stage. But she's tough, in her own way, and will go about any task you give her. In truth, Jade holds a soft spot for her, as do many of the girls. If a customer takes an interest in Nepeta there's always a girl nearby willing to distract them.

Feeling slightly lightheaded, Jade makes her way up to the stage and begins to mount the stairs on the right hand side which lead backstage. However as she does so she hears a familiar voice from behind her.

"Jade. Jade!"

Sighing heavily, Jade turns around just in time to see Vriska rushing up to her. Like all the other girls, she's dolled up for tonight's show. She wears blue, as she almost always insists, but has obliged in wearing silver shoes and jewellery and Jade's tailor has trimmed her corset with shimmery golden thread.

"Yes Vriska, what is it? I'm a little busy now actually could you come back later-"

"I just wanted to ask" Vriska interrupts with a little smile "about that show later on, I wanted to borrow one of Glitre's props, you know the big wooden cut out of the cocktail glass thing? But she says she needs it or something stupid and she's being a bit of a bitch to be honest, could you speak to her?"

As she talks she places her hands on her hips and squares her shoulders. Despite being one of the most attractive girls to work for Jade, Vriska has never picked up the knack needed for the job. Jade tries to use Terezi as a good example for her, pointing out the way she glides through the crowds and whispers gently to the clients. But Vriska is stubborn and the more you try to change her the more she will rebel, neglecting the needs of the guests and taking far more than she gives. She strides through the club arrogantly and Jade has often received complaints from guests, claiming that Vriska has tried to intimidate or on occasion hurt them. But Vriska always had some excuse and Jade rarely has the strength or time to lecture her when she know it's pointless anyway. Vriska is unchangeable.

Breathing heavily, Jade lifts a hand to her faces and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Look, Vriska, honey we've talked about this. You're not getting a show tonight there's just too much on-"

"What?! No, we talked about this, I'm ready," Vriska retaliates raising her voice and gesticulating angrily " I have the clothes and everything and once you get that prop for me I'm good to go! What's the problem here?"

Jade runs her hands over her face, feeling tired and lightheaded. This seems to happen too often nowadays.

"The problem is" she starts to say slowly " that we don't have the time to fit in your show, we're not prepared and _you_ aren't ready."

Vriska goes to interupt again but Jade stops her with a raised palm and continues:

"We're already running on a tight schedule tonight and we can't just go adding bits in. I told you that we might be able to get you a show soon, but not now! We've barely started practising your act, never mind performing it on stage, that is if we chose to do it at all! You can't even hold down a regular, what makes you think you're ready for an act to yourself?!"

At those words Vriska's face tightens angrily and her jaw tenses. Jade knows she's picked at a sore spot, mentioning the regulars. A regular is what Jade and her girl's call a customer who- for want of a better word- reserves a girl. This girl then spends the majority of her time with this customer, tending to them as a mistress would. Regulars pay more than normal customers and girls who tend regulars are treated well, given gifts and special treatment and often form close bonds with their regulars. It's still very much business, but often makes clients feel more satisfied. Terezi and Dave are an example of a very dedicated pair, Dave favoring Terezi after only a few weeks of visiting Jade's club.

But, most likely due to her stubbornness and unladylike nature, Vriska has never been chosen as a regular and is in fact fairly unpopular in the club. Often she helps out backstage or at the bar and sometimes she just doesn't turn up and stays in her room. But she seems to be very resentful towards the girl's who do have regulars and hates to be reminded that she doesn't have one, despite the fact that many of Jade's girl's don't.

Jade realises what she's done and tries to calm the situation down.

"You're just inexperienced that's all, there's nothing wrong with that. A few more weeks and we'll have an act for you, I promise-"

But it's too late, Vriska is already storming away, towards the door that leads to the girl's rooms.

"Vriska, come back! I didn't mean it like that!"

Vriska slams the door behind her leaving Jade on her own. Throwing her hands in the air, and deliberating for a moment whether she should follow her, Jade ascends the stairs, now more tired than ever.

Backstage, there are people rushing back and forth setting up and preparing for the night's act. The act on stage earlier was a warm up act, to keep the audience's attention while everyone set up. But now it's time for the real show to begin. Jade walks, in a slightly wobbly line, onstage which is still hidden by the deep red drapes. She can hear the muffled chatter and laughter of the audience from beyond it and feels an excitement stirring in her chest for the night to come.

She goes to take another sip of her drink but finds her glass is empty. She frowns before looking around her. Catching the eye of one of the girl's working as a stage hand , she beckons her over.

"Darling," she says as the young girl hurries over "take this to the bar for me there's a sweetie."

And without waiting for a reply, she thrusts the glass in the girl's hands and turns round to face the curtain. She hears the girls around her running offstage, gathering various pieces of equipment as they go, until it is only her left. There is a hush from the wings as they wait for Jade to begin. After a few seconds, Jade nods, not to anyone in particular but that doesn't matter. Because she knows everyone is watching her.

With a soft slither, the curtains part and the audience is quiet, as every business man, every lonely husband or wife, every raunchy entrepreneur, adventurous young girl, disgraced politician and all the girls that are with them turn to face Jade. All the lights go down, but for a small spotlight centred on the stage. Jade feels a surge of adrenaline shoot through her, as all the worries and woes of the day seem to melt away and all that's left is her and Them. She pauses, letting the audience wallow in the silence for a few seconds. When she speaks her voice is loud, warm and holds none of the tightness and anxiety it had earlier that day.

"Hello my friends! And welcome to another evening at the grandest club in Manhattan! We have a wonderful night ahead of us, with exciting acts, amazing singers and a whole host of stunning dancers at our fingertips. So pull up a chair, grab a drink, find yourself one of my gorgeous girls and let all your troubles float away. Your woes, doubts and uncertainties can wait until morning because your worries aren't welcome here.

Relax, kick back and indulge your every little fantasy because my girls are here to please you. Without further hesitation I would like to introduce to you my lovely ladies and welcome you warmly to JADES!"


	2. Chapter 2

It's dark and quiet in the booth, the warm thick air seeming to wrap tightly around the occupants rendering their movements sluggish and heavy. Terezi lounges sleepily beside her partner, her small body fitting snugly into the plush seating. Dave's arm is wrapped around her shoulders, pushing her further into her seat, his fingertips tracing little spirals on her arms as they watch the stage together.

The room is filled with the smell of people. A pungent mix of sweat, cologne and alcohol infuses the air, seeming to press in around Terezi like a sickly wall. When she first arrived at JADES the smell had overpowered her, almost making her faint after only a few steps into the club. But she is used to it by now and the smell is familiar and almost-but not quite- comforting.

A new odour permeates the air, as Dave shifts position beside her. His scent is musky but clean, containing strong traces of soap and talcum powder. He refrains from cologne, and always smells fresh and unadulterated to Terezi- a clean smell she misses. Due to the heat, twin patches of sweat now punctuate the odour but Dave is far preferable to the thick, smoky air which fills the rest of the club, so she buries her head further into his side, savouring the crisp, soapy smell that wafts off his newly-washed shirt.

Through the fog of smells that creep through the club, Terezi can just make out the dancers onstage. There are three of them, each coated in a sherbet sweet glaze of powder and makeup. They dance in formation, mirroring each other's movements perfectly as they glide their hands slowly over their bodies. Terezi can smell their pride, as they tease and work the crowd, from which a cloud of lust emanates- a dirty, dark smell which reminds Terezi of home. She blocks out the rest of the club and focuses on Dave's smell, breathing in and out heavily.

Dave shifts beneath her and Terezi feels his warm breath on her head as he is distracted from the dancers. His fingers graze her neck and she moves with them, lifting her head upwards to look at him. She smiles sleepily and reaches up to remove his glasses. He blocks her with his hand, still anxious in some way about revealing his face. But no one can see them in the booth, as he knows well and Terezi has seen him with less on than his stupid glasses. She bats his hand aside easily and slips his shades down his handsome, if some-what fresh looking face, revealing a pair of startling red eyes. Not breaking eye contact, she places his glasses on the table beside them and sits up, slipping her arms around his neck. Gazing blindly into his face, she brushes her long, slim fingers lightly against his skin and feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Knowing that the darkness of the booth will protect them from peeping eyes, Terezi moves closer to Dave, letting her nose skim his as she closes her eyes and gently brushes her eyelashes against his cheek. Dave trembles beneath her and moves swiftly, taking her jaw in his hands and moving her lips to kiss his. Terezi can feel a craving building up within him, heating his blood like a flame, desire making his movements clumsy and brutish.

But Terezi isn't done playing with him yet and after kissing back passionately for only a few seconds, she lifts her lips from his, letting her chest settle lightly against his, reminding him there's more to her than her mouth. Slowly, she moves herself so she's sitting on his lap, straddling his legs between her thighs. Dave goes still, breathing heavily as Terezi works her hands further down his body. She leans forward and rests her face on Dave's shoulder, kissing his cheeks lightly, as she allows her hands to take over, slipping over his stomach and down to his trousers. She smiles broadly, her small pointed teeth gleaming wickedly in the darkness.

"Did you miss me more than I'd imagined?" She whispers breathily.

She smells the heat rising to his cheeks and her grin widens. Moving backwards, she kisses him again, allowing him to place his hands on her hips. Human men, she has discovered, like to be teased. But they get embarrassed easily, troubled by some absurd notion of manhood. As though their dominance over woman is the source of some kind of pride. But she knows when to let them reclaim the situation. To let them feel in control.

Dave works his hands up her body and loosens the straps of her dress. She feels her heart beating faster, as Dave pulls the fabric of the outfit down until its strains against her chest and he moves his hands to her breasts, ready to strip her bare-

The act on stage ends with a large cry from the band, and both Terezi and Dave jump as the audience erupts in cat-calls and whistles. Dave's hands fly off Terezi as she jerks her head upwards, swivelling her head towards the source of the noise. Heart beating erratically, Terezi lays a hand to her chest, exhaling shakily as she realises it was just the dance ending. In the heat of the moment, she had forgotten about the dancers. Forgotten that they were barely an hour into the night and that most of the men in the club would watch the dancers for a good few hours longer before allowing themselves to be led upstairs by one of the girls.

Noticing that Dave is just as startled as her, Terezi smiles down at him kindly. Slipping the straps of her dress back over her shoulders, she leans forward and plants a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Perhaps, I should go get us some drinks?" She suggests.

Dave murmurs back something incoherent and rearranges himself as Terezi steps neatly from his lap and begins to walk away from the booth. This would buy her some time to herself, time to think and compose herself. She would never have normally done something like that so early on in an evening, but she was feeling a little distracted of late, put off her work. Everyone was.

Leaving Dave and the booth behind her, Terezi walks around the back of the club, so as not to disturb any of the audience members. She arrives at the bar, which is currently very busy with various girls and visitors who have stood up to get drinks between acts. Sitting herself at one of the stools, she decides to wait until the crowd has cleared a bit. Dave could probably do with the extra time anyway.

She twiddles with her hair idly, listening to the chatter and flirting that fills the air around her. She's ignored generally, a small indiscernible figure lost in the crowd. She doesn't do anything to draw attention, but enjoys the little moment she has to herself. Girls around her giggle and smile -sugar sweet grins between plump, strawberry lips- over-eager to please their lovers. It would be repellent if she didn't do the exact same thing night in and night out. But that's the nature of her life. And she surprises herself everyday with being ok with that. Maybe she's changed more than she thought she had. That's what troubles her really. Has she changed, really changed? And if she has changed, is it for better or for worse?

 

She knows someone who hasn't changed at all though. Someone who's skulking very close by. Her blueberry bubblegum scent punctuates the air like a knife. Another familiar smell, she could catch the scent a mile off. Vriska seems to forget that, as she hangs over the side of the banister above Terezi, watching her with narrowed eyes. Terezi isn't sure why she's on the first floor instead of backstage or with a customer but she can feel her glare. She decides not to acknowledge her, smelling the foul mood that wafts of her sister. She keeps her head down, pointed towards the cool marble countertop of the bar.

The crowd at the bar continues as normal and Terezi holds her position until she smells Vriska move away, through the door that leads to their respite blocks. She frowns silently to herself. Vriska's been acting weird lately. She seems even more surly and vicious than usual. It feels like Terezi hasn't talked to her in a long time. But she's been kept busy of late, tending the customers, helping Nepeta clear the rooms, tending to Dave when he bothers to appear. And Jade seems to be trying to fit in more and more of Terezi's shows every night. She often goes to bed late and exhausted. She begins to feel a little annoyed at Vriska, loitering and taking it easy while there's so much work to be done.

Speaking of work she should probably get back to Dave. The next act is about to begin and people are starting to file back into their seats. Taking advantage of the sudden clearance Terezi catches Jane's eye and beckons her over. The stout, young bartender totters over and listens to her order without comment. She begins to prepare the drinks.

As Jane busies herself with various tumblers and bottles, Terezi lets her nose wander over the shelves of liquor that line the wall. She pauses at a bottle of thick, red cherry liquor and inhales deeply. She lets out a little sigh, as she knows she cannot touch it. When JADES was newly established and only a few fresh-faced young trolls worked there, there had been some experimentation with alcohol. Unsuccessful experimentation. Most of the trolls who'd been brave enough to try the pungent smelling alcohol had fallen sick, vomiting profusely and experiencing terrible stomach pains, and others had fallen into fits of violent rage or inconsolable depression. After that, Jade had forbidden any and all consumption of alcohol by trolls. This had all been before Terezi's arrival of course, so she hasn't experienced drinking herself but she often wishes she could have, just to know what it's like to fall into a happy drunken stupor, free of care. Also, this particular bottle of cherry liquor smells absolutely delicious.

But the bottle is blocked by Jane's frame as she hands the two completed drinks to Terezi, a Gin Rickey for Dave and a Coca Cola for herself. Gloomily, she takes the drinks in hand and begins to walk back to Dave. Most of the audience are watching the stage at this point, as a new act has started and Glitre and Sappho's flashy routine is in full swing. Terezi expects Dave to be watching too, but finds him instead hunched over in his seat. She hesitates for a moment, unsure of what he's doing. But then he sits up and Terezi can see he's lit a cigarette and is taking a long drag while shaking the match out in his other hand.

Wriggling her nose in disgust, she covers the short distance between them. She places the drinks in front of Dave and, before he can say a word, she grabs the foul smelling roll up from his mouth and tosses it into a dusty corner. Dave stares at the place where his cigarette used to be and then at the place where Terezi had thrown it. He raises his hands indignantly and his brow furrows as he turns to his companion.

"What the hell, Terezi?" His voice is hushed but angry. Desciding not to suffer him complaints, she sits herself firmly across his lap.

She doesn't like it when Dave smokes, doesn't like the taste, doesn't like the smell. He can't know of course but she's extremely sensitive to the stench of tobacco and if she doesn't have to suffer through it she won't. It's the first time she's ever tried to stop Dave doing it though and he isn't happy about it. He tries to push Terezi back, off his lap, grabbing at her hands as she tries to entwine them in his hair.

"What has gotten into you? That was my damn cigarette."

But Terezi doesn't answer, just slips out of his grip. With a strange look on her face she grabs Dave's drink off the table and brings it to his face.

"Baby, shut up" she smiles as she brings the glass to his lips "and have a drink."

"Terezi, no-" he splutters as she tips the glass down his chin " Stop!"

He tilts his head away, spitting out gin as the rest of the drink drips down his front and onto his shirt. He turns back round again, a look of fury on his face, his mouth open to shout. But before he can Terezi leans forwards and kisses him, discarding the glass onto the soft bench and grabbing at his face with her hands. She can feel him trying to speak beneath her lips, but soon he stops and is kissing back just as passionately and she feels his hands slide up her back.

"Dammit Terezi." He growls against her lips.

She feels his hands wander downward again and soon they're caressing her hips and ass. She kisses him harder and opens her mouth to run her tongue over his lips, savouring the bitter, sticky alcohol that covers them.

Dave melts like butter beneath her fingers and she smiles, knowing that she's played Dave like a finely tuned instrument. Because no matter how angry he pretends to be, Dave will always come running back. Dave and every other man. There are those on this planet that call her a whore. A slut. Or worse, a demon, an abomination. They can cast her aside like a worm, spit at her on the streets and play her like a fool. But when the oh-so-pure, oh-so-godly men come out at night to sate their desires, it's Terezi they come crawling to. It's her they want. It's her they need.

And that's the way Terezi likes it.


	3. Chapter 3

Jade wipes the cool sweat from her brow as she steps down from the stage, her legs trembling lightly with exhaustion as she descends the short wooden steps. Her skin is sticky from the heat and her limbs feel heavy and tired, but she's happy with her work.

It has been a good night- a large but amiable crown attended and the club was filled with loud music and the smell of liquor. There was lots of cheering and hooting and luckily no arguments or brawling between the guests- as so often occurs. Jade smiles remembering the feverish heat that had spread through her chest onstage. There's nothing quite like it. She sighs.

The room is growing colder now, as most of the bodies have dispersed. Some have left the club, wandering drunkenly into the muggy, lamplit streets. Others- the wealthier guests mostly- have ascended to one of the rooms on the first floor with a girl of their choice. Jade can see the rows of peeling painted doors, shut firmly against the main area of the club, their heavy wooden build obscuring whatever deeds may be occurring within. Almost every room is engaged, Jade is pleased to note.

There are only a few girls left now, Nepeta and a few others who didn't dance that night clearing away the tables and sweeping away piles of ash and messily discarded cigarette butts. Jade considers helping them but she's shivering now and she can feel an ache creeping up her temple. The adrenaline rush from the show has passed and the nights wear and tear is catching up to her.

Feeling strangely washed-out, Jade approaches a door to her left, tucked into a little corner of the club. She opens the chipped, sandy coloured door and steps through it. The temperature drops violently and she shudders as she enters the basement of the apartment building that is built atop the club. She owns the entire building and uses it to house her girls and staff, store props and do various pieces of work that arise. It's here in the basement-a large space filled with desks and tables and littered with old instruments, props and crates- that most of the hard slog is done. The girls rest here between shows, props are crafted and painted, deliveries are received and itinerary is taken. There are other rooms to do so in, but her staff seem to prefer the large open space where they can socialize with others as they work. The only snag is that it's bitterly cold and the rough stone walls seem to suck the warmth out of the room. Jade can't stand it but the trolls don't seem to mind.

There are only two people in the room that night however, heads bent over into a little pool of light, examining something Jade cannot see. Jade steps down the jagged stone staircase that leads to the club and approaches them. The sound of her heels echo against the floor and the two girls look up as she arrives at their desk. She smiles, and Rose smiles back. Her partner, Kanaya, doesn't however as she has several pins held between her teeth. In the bright light of a lamp they are examining one of Kanaya's dresses, a silvery, pale thing made of sheek, translucent fabric. It is beautifully tailored and there are barely any stitches visible. Jade always remarks upon the way Kanaya's dresses seem to appear out of thin air with no sign of ever been cut up and sewn together by a tall, skinny troll from the wrong part of the city.

"Hello girls," Jade coughs lightly, trying to rid herself of the hoarseness in her voice "What are you doing up this late?"

Kanaya continues working, her head bent low over the fabric. Rose smiles and answers for her,

"We're just adding the finishing touches to this dress. We can seem to decide on what fabric to use here."

She holds up two sashes of fabric in her hands, one a piece of silver coloured silk, the other a clean, milk white length of linen. Holding them against the dress she turns to Jade.

"What do you think suits it better ma'am?"

Jade considers this for a moment, flickering her eyes between the dress and the cloth.

"M'mm. I think it's definitely the white one. The silver's nice but it might be overdoing it. It's up to you two of course, but that's just my opinion."

Rose brushes her face lightly with her hand as she listens and turns to look at the dress again.

"Yes. Yes I think you might be right."She muses. Her voice is unusually proper for those in this area of Manhatten. She speaks in a prim, neat tone which she picked up from her two guardians who are English. It was partly due to the bullying she received about her accent that she decided to withdraw from her life as an actress and work full time behind the curtains of JADES. Most of the girl's here have some kind of story to share, and Rose is just the same, although she prefers not to talk about it. In fact Jade is pretty sure that she's the only one Rose has told.

But looking at Rose and Kanaya together she is reminded how close they are. Perhaps she has divulged her past to Kanaya. Perhaps not. Some secrets are too personal to share. Either way, Jade is sure that Kanaya would never pressure Rose into telling her anything.

"Does that sound acceptable Kanaya? The white cloth?"

There is a muffled grunt of agreement from the troll girl. Rose nods happily.

"The white one then," she says laying the silver cloth aside. "Thank you for the help Ma'am."

Jade smiles at them, happy to see two people who aren't rushing about. She looks at the dress again, which is being probed and pinned at by Kanaya. Kanaya never needs to work with a model or a mannequin, a skill which makes her very useful, what with the girls being so busy at the moment. Jade folds her arms and tilts her head slightly to admire Kanaya's work. It isn't a dress she recognises.

"What is this dress for anyway?" She asks, her brow furrowing.

"Vriska asked us to make it," Rose replies, her back turned to Jade as she rummages around the boxes for some more white cloth, "She asked us to make one for her, for tonight or tomorrow. We're running a little late actually..."

Horrified, Jade clutches her face in her hands.

"Oh no, no girls! I'm sorry but Vriska's not doing her show tonight or tomorrow-"

"What?" Rose turns round quickly just as there is a tinkle of metal against wood, as the pins in Kanya's mouth fall to the floor. She straightens up, her mouth a light, pale line.

"Godamnit." She exhales loudly. Jade can see now the dark lines beneath her eyes, and the droop to her stance. She realises that Rose and Kanaya must have stayed up most of the night making this dress. Suddenly, she feels awful.

"I'm sorry girls, I should have said earlier, Vriska's been going around and saying a lot of things-"

"It's alright Jade." Kanaya's voice is weary as she rubs her dark eyes with the back of her hand. "You couldn't have known."

Now that she's not working all the energy seems to have left her body. She sways lightly as she moves to pick up her sewing equipment. Before Jade can do anything, Rose leans forward and rests a hand on Kanaya's arm.

"Go to bed Kanaya. It's alright, I'll clear up here."

Kanaya looks about ready to complain, but Jade sees the fight die quickly in her eyes. She merely nods, and walks away, towards the room she shares with Rose. Jade turns to Rose, who's watching Kanaya leave with a blank expression on her face.

"Are you sure you're okay with cleaning up?" Jade asks worried, remembering that Rose must be tired too. "You can leave it until tomorrow if you like."

Rose just smiles as she turns away from Kanaya's retreating figure and begins to pack up various pieces of cloth and material.

"It's alright Ma'am, this won't take long. You should probably retire though. You seem like you could do with some rest."

Jade snorts lightly under her breath.

"I wish darling." She mutters. But Rose is no longer paying attention and continues to clear the desks.

Still feeling slightly guilty, Jade walks away from Rose, heading in the direction Kanaya took. She reaches a door and opens it to reveal a small hallway and a slim wooden staircase. Up the stairs are the rooms her girls live in, and she can hear Kanaya's heavy footsteps from above her. But Jade's room isn't in the main building and instead of heading upwards she turns to her right and opens a chipped wooden door. Inside is a cramped room, probably meant to be a cupboard, in which barely fits a small bed, and desk and a chair. Propped against one wall is an old, cracked mirror, off which hangs a few clothes. Most of Jade's outfits are kept by Kanaya with the other girl's so she has no need for any large wardrobes or dressers.

Jade slumps into the room, kicking the door shut behind her. Her shoulders are aching, her chest is tight and cramped and she feels terrible- not just physically but emotionally too. The situation with Kanaya and Rose made her feel so guilty and unprofessional. She knows she's overworking her girls but there doesn't seem to be anything she can do about it.

She sits down on her bed, the frame creaking beneath her weight, and falls backwards allowing her long, dark hair to fan out around her neck and shoulders. She can feel anxiety seeping through her making her stomach buckle and twist in pain. She always gets stomach pains when she's stressed out, which usually doesn't make the situation any better.

But she just doesn't know what to do. The night's success had made her forget her troubles but she can't escape the fact that she is very close to going bankrupt. After receiving the new prices earlier that day from Jack, the supplier who keeps JADES's bar fully stocked, she hadn't know whether to scream or cry. And it isn't just booze that's going up in price. Food, fabric, toiletries, and basic supplies are becoming scarcer and more expensive. And it's even harder to get what they need delivered for a reasonable price considering the nature of JADES.

That is of course to say that JADES, isn't technically, completely legal. Or to put it another way it is in fact completely, illegal, a fact that often plagues JADES mind. Although she doesn't see why of course. The police didn't say specifically that she couldn't have alien immigrants dancing in her club. And she sees absolutely no harm in her girl's performing a few extra services for the clients. That's what showgirls should be there for, making people feel good. So long as they're completely willing of course, she adds to herself quickly. There are a lot of unsavoury businesses in the area but she's determined _never_ to become one of them. She keeps her girls safe. She keeps them happy.

Thoughts buzz around Jade's brain like wasps. She lays her arms over her face, trying to block out the light, as she closes her eyes. She can feel her head throbbing and her breath is slow and weary. She would like nothing more than to snuggle underneath her covers and fall asleep under the cool, soapy smelling sheets. But she knows she can't and with a resigned sigh she drags herself off the bed.

She leaves her room, but not before grabbing a shawl from the mirror. She wraps it around herself as she walks back through to the basement, which is now empty. Trudging wearily across the room she reaches a set of steps leading downwards, made of the same jagged, cold stone as the basment walls and floor. She descends them in silence, shivering a little as she grows even colder. There is a door at the bottom which she enters without knocking.

The room is dim with just one very bright lamp in the middle. It rests on a small tower of books, which in turn rests on a cluttered but large wooden desk. There are stacks of newspapers resting by the desk and sheets of paper layer the floor. The figure behind the desk is turned slightly away from Jade.

"You should knock."

Standing by the door, it's clear to Jade he's not going to turn to face her. Not in the temper for his attitude, she marches into the room until she can see Dirk clearly. His feet are propped up casually on the untidy desk and he's reading a newspaper.

"Maybe you should do some work for once."

He sucks air in through his teeth.

"Ouch." He says not looking up.

Jade glares at him and gets no response. A few seconds pass and she begins looking across his desk, searching for Dirk's daily contribution to her facility, eager to get it out the way.

"If you're looking for it," Dirk remarks, finally looking up, "It's on the chair."

Jade turns, and finds the document dumped carelessly on what could be generously called a chair; more a glorified stool than anything. Without replying she heads towards it. As she moves around his desk, Dirk carefully folds up his newspaper and remarks impassively;

"How's my brother doing today?"

"Why don't you go ask him yourself?" She responds bitterly. Dirk doesn't reply, as she picks up today's accounts. The first page is a mass of numbers and calculations, that seem to dance in front of her tired eyes. Clutching her hand to her forehead, Jade sighs and falls back onto the chair- ignoring the abandoned papers she crushes beneath her.

"I'm sorry Dirk. I'm just tired today," Jade says, letting her head droop back and her heavy lids close. "Could you break it down for me."

"Sure," he says simply, " We're broke."

Jade groans, clutching at her face with sleepy hands.

"I know, I know," She moans, "What's new."

"No, I really mean it this time. We're broke."

Jade peeps an eyelid open.

"Really? But- I mean we did so well tonight. Surely-"

"Didn't make up for it I'm afraid." He peers closely at something incomprehensible on his desk, " We're losing too much money. At this rate we can probably stand another week, maybe two."

Jade is silent, as she takes in the information. She leans forward, staring at her feet with a glazed expression and began to speak in the calm, pragmatic voice she reserves for matters of business.

"Well, we can cut down on the booze for start. Reduce the menu to a few simple drinks- I'm sure people wouldn't mind. And we can up the number of shows, Terezi wouldn't mind doing a few more and-"

"Jacks not supplying us any longer Jade."

Jade's head whips up.

"What?" She whispers horrified, " What do you mean? He can't just have stopped. Not just like that."

Dirk nods imperceptibly, confirming her fears.

"It's too risky for him now." He explains, adding sourly, "Barely breaking even as it is, he says."

Jades head falls into her hands, as the truth of what Dirk's saying hits home. She can feel all the hope, all the energy and time and love she's put into this place slowly fall away from her. Her dreams, always as light and untouchable as stardust, seem to be trickling through her fingers, out of her desperate grip. Breathing deeply she stands up, trying to think through a mind overrun with conflicting thoughts and feelings, all trying to be heard first. Approaching Dirk, who watches her almost expressionlessly, she lays a hand on the desk to steady herself.

"Dirk-" She says and experiences a rush of light-headiness that makes her sway.

"Dirk." She repeats, composing herself, " If anything is to happen, I don't want you to feel you have to hang around. You know what everyone is owed I trust you to see to that, and everything in this room is yours of course-"

"What you're just giving up?" Dirk peers irritably over his glasses, "Just like that?"

Confused, Jade rocks slightly in place.

"Well... what else is there to do? We're out of options."

Dirk shakes his head, his emotions as distant and incomprehensibly as normal.

"I never said that."

Hope blooming hesitantly in her chest, Jade watches as her partner gives one small, worried sigh before continuing:

"There's one other thing."


End file.
